US Defense Secretary Robert Gates, on a two-day visit, wants Japanese leaders to step up their efforts on global security, against the backdrop of a North Korean threat still viewed as serious in the region.
Officials traveling with Gates said yesterday that they expect a great deal of discussion about six-nation talks that led to North Korea's move this week to begin disabling nuclear facilities at its main Yongbyon complex.
The issue was also a hot topic during Gates' meetings earlier this week in South Korea, where Defense Minister Kim Jang-soo declared that he sees no reduction in the threat from North Korea as yet.
In a string of meetings yesterday and today, Gates is expected to discuss a broad range of issues, from Tokyo's recent decision to pull warships from their refueling mission in support of US-led coalition operations in Afghanistan to the restructuring of US troops and bases in Japan.
In a speech today, Gates is expected to call on Japan, Washington's top ally in Asia, to "take more responsibility in global security matters in keeping with a country of their political, economic and military capacity," one of the senior officials said. They spoke on condition of anonymity because the meetings with Japanese leaders are private.
Senior defense officials stressed that this will not be a lobbying mission by Gates to overturn the Japanese decision on the tankers. But he will have lunch today with Japanese officials, including some in the main opposition party who oppose the Afghanistan mission.
The refueling ships were ordered home after the Japanese government failed to hammer out a compromise over the mission with the main opposition party.
The ships provided about 7 percent of the fuel for maritime patrols.
BACKLASH: The National Party quit its decades-long partnership with the Liberal Party after their election loss to center-left Labor, which won a historic third term Australia’s National Party has split from its conservative coalition partner of more than 60 years, the Liberal Party, citing policy differences over renewable energy and after a resounding loss at a national election this month. “Its time to have a break,” Nationals leader David Littleproud told reporters yesterday. The split shows the pressure on Australia’s conservative parties after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s center-left Labor party won a historic second term in the May 3 election, powered by a voter backlash against US President Donald Trump’s policies. Under the long-standing partnership in state and federal politics, the Liberal and National coalition had shared power
NO EXCUSES: Marcos said his administration was acting on voters’ demands, but an academic said the move was emotionally motivated after a poor midterm showing Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr yesterday sought the resignation of all his Cabinet secretaries, in a move seen as an attempt to reset the political agenda and assert his authority over the second half of his single six-year term. The order came after the president’s allies failed to win a majority of Senate seats contested in the 12 polls on Monday last week, leaving Marcos facing a divided political and legislative landscape that could thwart his attempts to have an ally succeed him in 2028. “He’s talking to the people, trying to salvage whatever political capital he has left. I think it’s
CONTROVERSY: During the performance of Israel’s entrant Yuval Raphael’s song ‘New Day Will Rise,’ loud whistles were heard and two people tried to get on stage Austria’s JJ yesterday won the Eurovision Song Contest, with his operatic song Wasted Love triumphing at the world’s biggest live music television event. After votes from national juries around Europe and viewers from across the continent and beyond, JJ gave Austria its first victory since bearded drag performer Conchita Wurst’s 2014 triumph. After the nail-biting drama as the votes were revealed running into yesterday morning, Austria finished with 436 points, ahead of Israel — whose participation drew protests — on 357 and Estonia on 356. “Thank you to you, Europe, for making my dreams come true,” 24-year-old countertenor JJ, whose
Polish presidential candidates offered different visions of Poland and its relations with Ukraine in a televised debate ahead of next week’s run-off, which remains on a knife-edge. During a head-to-head debate lasting two hours, centrist Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski, from Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s governing pro-European coalition, faced the Eurosceptic historian Karol Nawrocki, backed by the right-wing populist Law and Justice party (PiS). The two candidates, who qualified for the second round after coming in the top two places in the first vote on Sunday last week, clashed over Poland’s relations with Ukraine, EU policy and the track records of their
RSS